024 - Preview of Unit 16: Dimension 4 = Communal Life With and Before God in Bible and Koran

The fourth and last dimension of biblical teachings concerns how biblical commandments structured and structures communal life with and before God. The five levels of this dimension follow the history of God's salvation in the Bible, looking at each epoch in this history to see which commandments influenced the way people live as a community in the presence of God and then looking out how, if at all, Allah in the Koran has taken up such commandments:

Level 1 - the commandments of Moses in the Torah and in the Koran (the chosen people of God; feasts; offerings; sanctification and purification; warfare; teachings etc.);

Level 2 - the commandments of David and Solomon in the OT Wisdom Writings and in the Koran (the kingdom of God; wise decisions; preaching and learning from wise men; worshiping God with Psalms and deeds etc.);

Level 3 - the commandments of prophets like Isaiah or Ezekiel in the OT prophetical books and in the Koran (rebuking sinners; heeding prophesied judgments of God; caring for the needy instead of opulent sacrifices in the temple etc.);

Level 4 - the commandments of Christ in the Gospels and in the Koran (being a disciple and discipleship; missionary existence; love for God and Christ etc.); and

Level 5 - the commandments of the Holy Ghost in the NT letters and in the Koran (the church of Christ, worship services, serving others, preaching the gospel etc.).